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Thursday, February 14, 2008

A Catch All

Skating in here by the skin of my teeth. (And thank gawd I live in the pacific time zone!)

I've had a very crazy, extroverted week, so I'm just going to point your attention to a couple of items of interest I bumped into this week.

Since one of the aims of book promotion is to acheive high enough sales numbers that one can (presumably) generate a living wage, I thought science fiction writer John Scalzi's article on the down and dirty of writing income was very interesting and informative.

Also, believing that knowledge is power, I find this survey of advances that the romance industry pays, very interesting as well. I wish someone would do this for children's publishing. Anyone up for a project!

And lastly, lest you think I've completely gone over to the dark side of publishing (ie: money, money, money) here is a link to m0re of Josephine Damian's conversation with Donald Maass.

Re the Scalzi material--I went to a conference once where they said that only 5% of writers make their living from their writing. Everyone else has to have another job too. I don't know how accurate that stat is, but I don't find it unbelievable.

Re the Maass excerpt--I hope to keep working to improve my writing always. Even if I should get more success and attention in the future, I never want to plateau in the quality of my writing, to stagnate.

"Just write your heart out. I promise you that's what matters. I would much, much rather find a great, unusual, distinctive book by a phobic writer covered in oozing sores who lives in a closet than a decent but not amazingly original book by the world’s best promoter. I could sell the former a lot better, too." Elizabeth Law, Publisher, Egmont USA

1) Introversion is not a social disease

2) You will never "outgrow" it, nor should you want to. It's part of what makes you unique

3) We pinky swear you can and will promote your work with success

4) There are tricks to being in the spotlight, and we'll happily share the ones we know!

Quote

Hardly anybody ever writes anything nice about introverts. Extroverts rule. This is rather odd when you realise that about nineteen writers out of twenty are introverts. We are being taught to be ashamed of not being 'outgoing'. But a writer's job is ingoing.--Ursula K. LeGuin

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